swan apron and other things

I am going to start adding different things to my blog.  Once a week, a photo from the town I live in so people can get an idea of where the items from my shop are coming from, what about this small town (Eugene, Or) I find special and inspiring.
The other posts I want to add is interviews with fellow etsy artists/shop-owners. So look for these new posts in the weeks ahead.


Today I added a vintage apron to my shop. In the future I want to make some of mine own too.  I have been crazy about swans lately and I am always attracted to gingham....... combination of the two WOW!!!

Interested in this type of embroidery "chicken scratch" then learn more about here.

*this item is in my shop

gold painted candle holder

I am so lucky! I saw this candle holder in a thrift store and knew I wanted to get it for the shop...but alas I was on my bike and not enough room in my basket left and both my handle bars were already loaded up, one side with library books in a bag and the other side with a lamp in a bag.  So I had to leave it behind, reluctantly!  The next morning I biked back down to the thrift store and lucky, lucky days, there it was still on the shelf.

I think this candle holder is divine.

*this item is now in my shop

An Edwin Knowle's Square salad plate

An Edwin Knowle's Square salad plate.

I looked into Edwin M. Knowle's Pottery on the Internet (here and here). As I uncovered more and more history and glanced at photos of the factory, my fondness for this small plate grew. November 1, 1930 that is when this little plate was made. Was it shortly afterwards purchased for someones Thanksgiving's table? Eighty-one years old and just a little darken spot (age spot:)

I could not find this pattern anywhere, there are plenty of other beautiful Edwin Knowles floral printed plates out there but this one seems to have lost a lot of it's mates. 

Eighty-one and still shining so brightly showing off it's vivid colors...yes I am pretty fond of it.

*This item is in my shop

floral beauty

Yesterday I put 3 new(vintage) items in my shop.  I am having so much fun taking the photos of my found treasures!  I had brought an old roll of wallpaper and used this as a backdrop, I love the simple effect it had. 
*The last photo's background is an old painting I found.

*These are all in my shop

kt40 shop collage october

I have been working on my space for my shop, a corner in my bedroom (This is a small operation folks:) One of the things I love doing is vision boards, so I put one together last night. My shop is about the items that go into homes. So I asked myself what kind of homes do I envision them going into?  All different types really...... you'll see this by the photos I picked..... and all of these spaces have the same things in common  a sense warmth and places(nooks) I could find myself being comfortable in......

pill cup

I am a sucker for small things and especially the ones that do not stand a chance at making it out of the thrift stores.


This little cup seemed like one of those items. I used to work in in a thrift store so I know these unfortunate items well. It is the little tea/espresso cups, that not only have they lost their saucer but they are alone, the last one.  They don't ever seem to make it out, instead they keep getting moved around on the shelf and then after some time they end up being chipped and pulled off the shelf and throw in the trash (recycling bin)..... a sad story but true:)


I am going to work hard on changing their fate when I see them,  I am going to bring them home, wash them up, then take their photos and put them in my shop.


They are a perfect size for taking your pills/vitamins in the morning.  I am imagining all sorts of little mixed cups lined up on the window sills above kitchen sinks ..... each one belonging to their own person.  (my quirky thrifter pledge:)

*this little cup is in the shop

best-friend mugs

I am a big time tea drinker ( i am not going to say how many cups a day I have) my favorite thing is to have tea with my friends/family. I love boiling the water choosing which tea(don't even get me started on how many  teas i have in my house) and then sitting down and talking over a cup of tea. This ritual always makes me slow down and really be in the moment. I thought these two mugs seemed perfect to be best-friend mugs, ready to be used again and again.

*These two best buddies are in my shop

blue cornflower and wheat mugs (set of eight)

I am realizing that I am just going on what I love when looking for things at my local thrift stores for my etsy shop.


I have not a clue when it comes to what things are worth or if they are "worth" collecting.  I am not looking at this new vintage venture this way. I am instead thinking "Would I use it?"  and "How could this item be used"  


I am mainly going on my initial reaction, these particular mugs made me grin..... big grin. There they were on the bottom shelf, way back.   


When I realized that there were eight total, I instantly thought "A cold fall day, hot chocolate party!!"  This is the kind-of collector I am:)

 Big enough for adults and small enough for children to hold.

Vintage condition I say "Excellent!"

*now in my shop

A fall treasury

Tiny leaf tray was included in a fall treasury put together by seamstessmoon. Stop by her shop she has a bunch of lovely upcycling going on.

tiny tiny leaf tray

I am only picking what "speaks" to me when looking for vintage treasures. This little leaf was tucked back on the shelf. I picked it up and it fit in my hand "How sweet...I can imagine this next to someone's front door, a holder for little nature finds or on someone's bedside table holding their rings and earrings...."
I imagined that it belonged to someone who once treasured it and it was known as the little leaf on grandmother's coffee table and then somehow ( as life happens) it was forgotten, packed up and off to a thrift store.

I'm wishing for it...that it will become the little leaf that is cherished again.

I decided to put this photo I found at a thrift store with the little leaf pretending that this was the family it used to belong to.

*this item is in my shop

in a treasury

Happy days! The peach cake plate was featured in prairie princess's Peaches in the Summertime, Apples in the Fall etsy treasury Check out her shop she has all sorts of wonderful items.

paintings in shop

This morning I have been busy. I have added four paintings to my shop. I am finding my way again as far as being online goes, so please hang in there with me as I start back up it may be a little scattered:)


I will share the four paintings and the little write-ups for each one.

Will she be kissed tonight?

Will she be kissed tonight? She is an open book, you can see what she is thinking it is written all over her. She doesn't care, she is not going to hide how she feels. 

from Peter

I don't really know Peter he is a friend of someone I know, but that did not stop him from bringing me sunflowers on a Sunday morning at a restaurant( I was dining with my friend). I know he was doing it to impress my friend. I was charmed for her:).....enough to go home and paint them and name the painting after him.

I am singing for her she can still see the beauty in my song

Sometimes life isn't easy and smooth. Sometimes you need to be quiet so you can see the beauty that is always surrounding us. It has been tough but she is choosing to grow. The little bird has built a house right on her shoulder and sings to her, they have become very dear friends.

Which one is the King and which one is the Queen?

Here they walk together, love sprouting up wherever they go. They have mated for life, and the bigger bird is perfectly content carry it's little mate when it grows weary. 

* these paintings are in my shop

cake plate( peachy colored fruits)

I love these little cake plates with their delicate handles.

I love baking and and this type of thing makes the experience complete.... putting my baked goods on something just as sweet. This is the first vintage find that is going into my shop and it is fitting to say the least. The dish that could cheer someone up and bring life to the table in a soft and subtle way. I am going to be on the look out for more of these cake plates (a shop staple:)

*now in my shop

always be true (a small painting)

always be true the 1st item to go into my etsy shop...Wow it has been a while....but I am happy to be back on-line and focused on my small shop which I have missed dearly. This year I am going to be adding some new items to my shop, vintage finds and ceramics that I make and books, I will still have a sewing sections and paintings.  I look forward to hearing from you if you have any ideas of what you would like to see in my shop just let me know.


sincerely, kt

always be true

I love painting these small birds that carry messages. I pretend that they fly at night looking for the rightful owner of the message that they bring. When they find them, they swoop down into their dreams and gently drop off the message. This little bird is flying all the way from Italy.
essere sempre genuino=always be true

*Now in my shop